Error when freeing dev'd package: Cannot convert VersionSpec to VersionNumber #4554
Description
Unfortunately I cannot reproduce this error - but I paste the stacktrace here in case the issue is easy to identify, even without a reproducer.
This occurs on Julia 1.13-alpha, when free'ing a dev'd dependency.
I fixed it by removing the Manifest, and only afterwards realized that I should file this error as an issue.
(AoC2025) pkg> free StringViews
Resolving package versions...
ERROR: MethodError: Cannot `convert` an object of type Pkg.Versions.VersionSpec to an object of type VersionNumber
The function `convert` exists, but no method is defined for this combination of argument types.
Closest candidates are:
convert(::Type{T}, ::T) where T
@ Base Base_compiler.jl:136
Stacktrace:
[1] convert(::Type{Union{Nothing, VersionNumber}}, x::Pkg.Versions.VersionSpec)
@ Base ./some.jl:35
[2] Pkg.Types.PackageEntry(name::String, version::Pkg.Versions.VersionSpec, path::Nothing, entryfile::Nothing, pinned::Bool, repo::Pkg.Types.GitRepo, tree_hash::Nothing, deps::Dict{String, Base.UUID}, weakdeps::Dict{String, Base.UUID}, exts::Dict{String, String}, uuid::Base.UUID, apps::Dict{String, Pkg.Types.AppInfo}, registries::Vector{String}, other::Nothing)
@ Pkg.Types ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/Types.jl:282
[3] Pkg.Types.PackageEntry(; name::String, version::Pkg.Versions.VersionSpec, path::Nothing, entryfile::Nothing, pinned::Bool, repo::Pkg.Types.GitRepo, tree_hash::Nothing, deps::Dict{String, Base.UUID}, weakdeps::Dict{String, Base.UUID}, exts::Dict{String, String}, uuid::Base.UUID, apps::Dict{String, Pkg.Types.AppInfo}, registries::Vector{String}, other::Nothing)
@ Pkg.Types ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/Types.jl:281
[4] kwcall(::@NamedTuple{name::String, version::Pkg.Versions.VersionSpec, pinned::Bool, tree_hash::Nothing, path::Nothing, repo::Pkg.Types.GitRepo, uuid::Base.UUID}, ::Type{Pkg.Types.PackageEntry})
@ Pkg.Types ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/Types.jl:281
[5] update_manifest!(env::Pkg.Types.EnvCache, pkgs::Vector{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec}, deps_map::Dict{Base.UUID, Dict{String, Base.UUID}}, julia_version::VersionNumber, registries::Vector{Pkg.Registry.RegistryInstance})
@ Pkg.Operations ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/Operations.jl:347
[6] free(ctx::Pkg.Types.Context, pkgs::Vector{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec}; err_if_free::Bool)
@ Pkg.Operations ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/Operations.jl:2561
[7] free
@ ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/Operations.jl:2547 [inlined]
[8] free(ctx::Pkg.Types.Context, pkgs::Vector{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec}; all_pkgs::Bool, kwargs::@Kwargs{io::IOContext{IO}})
@ Pkg.API ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/API.jl:544
[9] kwcall(::@NamedTuple{io::IOContext{IO}}, ::typeof(Pkg.API.free), ctx::Pkg.Types.Context, pkgs::Vector{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec})
@ Pkg.API ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/API.jl:517
[10] free(pkgs::Vector{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec}; io::IOContext{IO}, kwargs::@Kwargs{})
@ Pkg.API ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/API.jl:172
[11] free(pkgs::Vector{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec})
@ Pkg.API ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/API.jl:161
[12] do_cmd(command::Pkg.REPLMode.Command, io::Base.TTY)
@ Pkg.REPLMode ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/REPLMode/REPLMode.jl:422
[13] do_cmds(commands::Vector{Pkg.REPLMode.Command}, io::Base.TTY)
@ Pkg.REPLMode ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/src/REPLMode/REPLMode.jl:406
[14] do_cmds(repl::REPL.LineEditREPL, commands::String)
@ REPLExt ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/ext/REPLExt/REPLExt.jl:125
[15] on_done(s::REPL.LineEdit.MIState, buf::IOBuffer, ok::Bool, repl::REPL.LineEditREPL)
@ REPLExt ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/ext/REPLExt/REPLExt.jl:139
[16] #invokelatest_gr#224
@ ./reflection.jl:1348 [inlined]
[17] invokelatest_gr
@ ./reflection.jl:1342 [inlined]
[18] (::REPLExt.var"#create_mode##0#create_mode##1"{REPL.LineEditREPL})(s::REPL.LineEdit.MIState, buf::IOBuffer, ok::Bool)
@ REPLExt ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/Pkg/ext/REPLExt/REPLExt.jl:165
[19] run_interface(terminal::Base.Terminals.TextTerminal, m::REPL.LineEdit.ModalInterface, s::REPL.LineEdit.MIState)
@ REPL.LineEdit ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/REPL/src/LineEdit.jl:2891
[20] run_frontend(repl::REPL.LineEditREPL, backend::REPL.REPLBackendRef)
@ REPL ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/REPL/src/REPL.jl:1667
[21] (::REPL.var"#61#62"{REPL.LineEditREPL, REPL.REPLBackendRef})()
@ REPL ~/.julia/juliaup/julia-1.13.0-alpha2+0.x64.linux.gnu/share/julia/stdlib/v1.13/REPL/src/REPL.jl:687